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AUTOMATIC GONVEYER APPARATUS. No. 326.929.

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H. SMITH. AUTOMATIC GONVEYER APPARATUS.

No. 326,929. Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

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HERVEY SMITH, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE O. BLIOKENSDERFER, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC CONVEYER APPARATUS.-

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,929, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed December 5, i884, Renewed September 1. 1885. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERVEY SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county ofErie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Conveyer Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of conveyers in which the track is elevated and the article to be carried is to be suspended from a running-gear which traverses said track.

The invention consists in improvements in the construction of the track, the runninggear of the cars, and the switching devices.

The leading object of the invention is to so construct the track and the cars that the cars cannot be derailed or thrown from the track while running.

My device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing two tracks which grade in opposite directions, a switch-track for receiving cars from one track, a second switch for dispatching cars upon the other track, and an elevator device. Fig. 2 is an end view of the appliances seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end View of a car running on the main track,looking from the sectionline x a; in Fig. 1. Fig. -i is a side view of the runninggear of the car. Fig. 5 is a top View of the running-gear of the car running on a curve. Fig. 6 is a perspective VIOW of a switch-point. Fig. 7 is a top View of the parts seen in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section on the line y y in Fig. 7. Figs.

9 and 10 show the termini of the two tracks at the central station. Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 show modifications in the construction of the car and track, as follows:

In Fig. 11 the track is composed of two parts, a a, one above the other, and the car has two flanged wheels which engage with both the parts a a. In Fig. 12 the track has the same construction as in Fig. 11, except the parts a a are farther apart and the car is provided with a special wheel, e, for engaging with the upper part of the track. In Fig. 13 the construction is the same as in Fig. 12, except that the car has two upper wheels, 6 e, In Fig. 14 the parts of the track are close together and the conveyer wheels 6 e of the car traverse the upper part of the trackgvhile the small wheels 6 e engage with the lower part from below it. In Fig. 15 the construction is the same as in Fig. 14, except that the track, in place of being formed of two bars or wires, is formed of a bar, the wheels of the car engaging with its upper and lower edges, the same as they engage with the track in Fig. 14. In Fig. 16 the same switch-construction is shown as is seen in Figs. 6 and 7 applied to a track having but one bearing-face.

For the purposes of my invention I consider the foregoing alternative constructions as the same in effect. Under certain circumstances one may be preferred to the others, but their use may be considered as wholly optional; but of course the cars having wheels for both the upper and lower faces of the track will run with less friction than the one shown in Fig. 11. \Vhere the tracks are formed of two parallel wires or bars, as in all the figures except Fig. 15, they are held in position by clamps on hangers along one side of the track, as seen in Figs. 1 and 9, and where made of a single bar, as in Fig. 15, they will be supported by hangers which are attached to one side of the bar, midway between its upper and lower faces, as the arch (Z is in Fig. 15.

I call the upper and lower parts of the track in all cases the faces of the track. One face receives the tread of the supporting or conveying wheels 6, and the other face is loosely embraced by the flange, either of the same wheel 6, as in Fig. 11, or by the special friction-wheels c, as in the other figures, so that there will be no contact of the wheels with that face, except as the car is swayed, or either or both of the main wheels are raised up off the other face. The stem or pendant e of the car hangs on the opposite side of the track from the hangers which support it. The inner ends of the switches stand off from the main track, so as to leave an opening, a, for the car-stem e to pass through when the car runs past the switch on the main line. The car running-gear frame E is jointed at c so that the car will be able to make short curves, as in running onto a switch or around acorner, without binding. This joint should be provided with side stops, 6, so as to allow only a limited degree of movement in the joint.

When the main tracks are made of two parallel wires, as shown in all the figures eX- cept Fig. 15, I place at the switching places frogirons D D, through which the wires forming the track are deflected, as clearly seen in Fig. 6. A rib, (P, on these frog-irons forms a track between the points of' deflection of the wire. Opposite the point of the switch-track (see b in Figs. 6 and 7) is a notch, d, in the rib d a which is for the passage of the flanges on the wheels as a car runs from the main to the switch track or from the switch to the main track. If a car is passing the switch the notch d does not interfere with its passage; but if a car is 5 to go onto or comes out of a switch the notch allows the flange of the car-wheel to pass across the main track, and when a car is thus passing the space 6 does not interfere with its movement. The frog-irons D and I) are substantially alike, and are attached to an arch, d, which spans the main track and forms a supportfor the switch-track.

In the drawings my device is represented as a store-service conveyer, and the track A 5 is the one which leads from the salesmens stations to the cashiers desk, and the track B grades from the cashiers desk to the sales mens stations; hence the switch A is a dispatching and B a receiving switch at one of the salesmens stations.

is the section of track which is carried by the elevator G from the outer end of one switch to the other end of the other, which lie in a vertical plane.

3 The elevator possesses no novel feature, ex-

cept that the track-section C has its upper and lower faces joined so as to form a stop for an incoming car.

A car running from a'dispatching-switch onto the main track A needs no devices for guiding it, further than the tracks themselves; but a car running from the main line B onto the switch B will require to be guided. The devices for doing this consist of a guide-rave.

, d, on the arch d, and a pin, e, on the side of the forward part of the car-frame. These parts are graded as to height on the arches at the stations, and on the cars belonging to the stations correspondingly, so that when a car i reaches its destined station they will come in contact and turn the forward wheels of the car onto the switch.

To prevent cars accidentally going onto switches to which they are not destined,.l pro vide on the switch side of the track, on the arch d, a rave-plate, (Z and on the car a pin, a, which will come in contact with the raveplate andeffectually prevent the car from taking off on the switch. The pins 6 on the various cars will be graded as to height, and the plates d as to width, in serial succession, according to the relative position ot'the switches to which they belong, so that when a car reaches its destined switch the pin 6 will not impinge upon the plate (2 at that switch, and thus the car will be free to be diverted onto that switch by the rave d on the opposite side of the track. .At the'termini of the tracks in the cashiers desk, when the tracks are made of two parallel wires,I extend the lower part farther than the upper part, and turn up the end, as at a in Fig. 10, soras to form a stop for the car and leave a space for lifting the car off and putting it on the track. The end of the upper part of the track may be bent down a little, as at a, so as to form a spring to clutch the car and stop it.

Fig. 9 shows the terminus of the track B, on I The construction shown in Fig. 15 will form the subject of a future application by me, and I hereby reserve the right to make special claims in another patent for that device.

hat I claim as new is- 1. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two bearingfaces, one above the other, and a car, which has a pendant, 6, extending below the track, and is provided with flanged wheels which are arranged, substantially as shown, so as to embrace both said faces.

t 2. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named. the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two bearing-faces, one 7 ICC in both said faces, and a car with flanged wheels which embrace both said faces.

3. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two bearing-faces, one above the other, with similarly-constructed branch or switch tracks, switch-frogs arranged in both said faces, a space, c, between the inner end or point of the branch or switch and the frog in the main line, and a car having a pendant, e, and flanged wheels which embrace both the said track-faces.

4. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two faces, one above the other, with similarly-constructed switch or branch tracks, and a car having forward and rear wheels which are'fianged and embrace both said faces, and a jointed frame connecting said wheels.

5. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a main track having two bearing-faces, one above the other, switch-tracks having a like construction, an elevator for receiving cars from the said switches, having a section IIC' of similarly-constructed track, and a car having flanged wheels for embracing both of said track-faces.

6. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two bearing-faces, one above the other, and a car having two sets of flanged wheels, one above the other, so that one set of wheels runs on one face and the other on the other face of the track.

7. In aconveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track having two bearing-faces, one above the other, with branch or switch tracks similarly constructed, and switchfrogs in both said faces, and a car having two sets of flanged wheels, one above the other, so that one set of wheels runs on one face and the other on the other face of the track.

8. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of a track having two bearing-faces, one above the other, with switchfrogs in both said faces, branch or switch tracks of similar construction to the main track, with spaces 6 between their points or inner ends, and a car having two sets of flanged wheels, one above the other, so that one set of wheels runs on one face and the other set on the other face of the track, and a pendant, e, for supporting the article to be carried.

9. In a conveyer apparatus of the class here in named, the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of a track consisting of two parallel wires or bars forming two bearingfaces, one above the other, and a car having flanged wheels arranged substantially as shown, so as to embrace both of said bearingfaces.

10. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track consisting of two parallel bars or wires arranged one above the other, switch-frogs arranged on both said bars or wires, and switch or branch tracks, also formed of two parallel bars or wires arranged one above the other.

11. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track consisting of two par allel bars or wires, one above the other, switch or branch tracks, also made of two parallel bars or wires arranged as in the main track, switch-frogs arranged in both the upper and lower parts of the track, a car having a runninggear consisting of two sets of flanged wheels, one above the other, which are mounted on a jointed frame, so that the forward wheels can turn out of line with the rear wheels, a pendant, 6', extending from the running-gear of the car down on one side of the track, to support the article to be carried below the track, and an opening, 0, between the point of the lower part of the switchtrack and the main track, to allow the pendant e to pass.

12. In a conveyor apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of a main track and a switch. or branch track, the point of which is separated from the main track by the space 6, a switch-frog on the main track, a car having a frame on which are guiding projections, and a pendant which extends below the track to support the article to be carried, and a standard or arch located in advance of the switch-point, on which are guide-raves which act upon the guiding projections on the car frame to either keep the car on the main line or divert it onto the switch.

13. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a main track and a switch or branch track, the point of which is separated from the main line by the space 6, a switchfrog placed in. the main line, a supportingarch, d, supporting said switch-track from the main track, a standard or arch, (Z, in advance of the switch-point, to which are attached guide-raves d d and a car having a frame on which are guide pins c and e, which operate upon said guide-raves, and a pendant, 6", extending below the track, for supporting the article to be carried.

14. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a main and a switch or branch track, which are formed with two bearingfaces, one above the other, a supportingarch, d, supporting said switch-track from the main track, a standard or arch, d, in advance of the switch-point, to which are attached guideraves (l and (P, a car having a running-gear, the flanged wheels of which engage both the upper and lower faces of said tracks, and guiding-pins e and e on said running-gear which operate upon the guide-raves, substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

15. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a main track, branch or switch tracks opening from said main track, two guide raves or fenders at said switch-points, one for keeping certain cars on the main track and the otherfor guiding certain cars onto the switch-track, and cars having two guiding devices, one for acting to keep the car on the main line at certain switches and the other to guide the car off of the main line at a particular switch, said guiding devices acting in conjunction with the guiding devices at the switch-point.

16. In a conveyer apparatus, substantially as shown, a car having a runninggear with front and rear wheels mounted on a frame which isjointed between saidwheels, in combination with guiding devices on the said car and at the switch-points for guiding said-car.

17. In a conveyer apparatus of the class herein named, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a track formed of two parallel bars or wires, one above the other, a car which ICC traverses said track with its wheels engaging with both said parallel bars, and an opening in the upper part of said track at its terminus, for the removal or placement of said car, as described.

18. The combination, with the track B, of the guide-plate If, as and for the purposes set forth.

19. The combination, with the track B, of the guide-plate b and guides b b" and If, as and for the purposes set forth.

20. The combination, with the track A, of the turned-up end a and deflected end (1 as and for the purposes set forth.

21. In the car-frame E, the combination, with the joint 6 of the limiting-stops 6* e on each side of said joint.

HERVEY SMITH.

Witnesses:

JNo. K. HALLOOK, ROBERT H. PORTER. 

